Oren Peli
Oren Peli | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 21, 1970 Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Paranormal Activity |
Oren Peli (Hebrew: אורן פלאי / אורן פלי; born January 21, 1970) is an Israeli filmmaker, best known for writing and directing the 2007 horror film Paranormal Activity.[1] He acted as producer on subsequent films in the franchise, as well as on the first five films in the Insidious franchise.
Early life
[edit]Peli was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, to a Jewish family. At the age of 19, he moved to the United States.[2]
Career
[edit]Peli began as a computer software programmer, and was one of the developers behind Photon Paint, a bitmap graphics program for the Amiga.[3] He is also credited for developing the networking code for the home console versions of Mortal Kombat 3, during his work at Sculptured Software.[4]
His first film Paranormal Activity was inspired by Peli moving into his first house alone and without family nearby. Peli heard creaks and knocks in the night, which laid the groundwork for a film about a family running around with cameras trying to catch what was going on in the house.[5]
After the success of Paranormal Activity, Peli worked with James Wan and Leigh Whannell to develop Insidious. Peli also produced and wrote the 2012 horror film Chernobyl Diaries, based on the Chernobyl disaster and on his story The Diary of Lawson Oxford. The film followed "a group of friends who, while vacationing in Europe, find themselves stranded in the abandoned city of Prypiat, Ukraine only to discover that they are not alone."[6]
Television
[edit]In 2012, The River premiered on ABC, a paranormal/action/horror television series about a group of people on a mission to find a missing TV explorer in the Amazon. Peli co-created the show with Michael R. Perry, who co-wrote Paranormal Activity 2.
Films
[edit]Peli is writer and director of Area 51, a story about three friends who want to discover the secrets of the fabled Area 51. Peli is also the producer of all films in the Paranormal Activity & Insidious franchises and The Lords of Salem.[7][8][9]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Paranormal Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and editor |
| 2010 | Paranormal Activity 2 | No | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | Insidious | No | Yes | No | |
| Paranormal Activity 3 | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2012 | Paranormal Activity 4 | No | Yes | No | |
| The Bay | No | Yes | No | ||
| The River | No | Executive | Story | Creator and executive producer (8 episodes) Story for episode: "Magus" | |
| Chernobyl Diaries | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2013 | The Lords of Salem | No | Yes | No | |
| Insidious: Chapter 2 | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2014 | Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones | No | Yes | No | |
| 2015 | Area 51 | Yes | Executive | Yes | Also cinematographer |
| Insidious: Chapter 3 | No | Yes | No | ||
| Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2018 | Insidious: The Last Key | No | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin | No | Yes | No | |
| 2023 | Insidious: The Red Door | No | Yes | No |
Actor
[edit]- Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021) (Documentary film, himself)[10]
Video games
[edit]- 1998: NFL Xtreme (programmer)
- 2019: Night Terrors: Bloody Mary (executive producer)
References
[edit]- ^ "Oren Peli". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ Mandell, Lisa Johnson (October 8, 2018). "Horror Filmmaker Oren Peli Won't Have to Scare Up Buyers for His SoCal Mansion". Realtor.com.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (August 2, 2017). "'Paranormal Activity' Creator Oren Peli's Next Project: A Social-Networking App for Event Hookups". Variety.
- ^ "Why do Mortal Kombat 3 players still insist on keyboard controls 27 years later?". PCGamer. March 29, 2022.
- ^ Hall, Peter (October 9, 2009). "Interview: Oren Peli, Writer-Director of 'Paranormal Activity'". Moviefone. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "Alcon to Release 'Chernobyl Diaries'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "The Lords of Salem Synopsis – Plot Summary". Fandango.com. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "Area 51 Synopsis – Plot Summary". Fandango.com. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "Oren Peli Filmography". Fandango.com. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021). Retrieved October 25, 2024 – via www.blu-ray.com.
